Explore the best rated trails in Ocala, FL, whether you're looking for an easy walking trail or a bike trail like the Crosstown Trail and Seven Mile Loop Trail . With more than 33 trails covering 423 miles you're bound to find a perfect trail for you. Click on any trail below to find trail descriptions, trail maps, photos, and reviews.
Parked in the park on the South side of the bridge and started the trail from there. Road approximately 11 miles to Hastings. Turned right on Main Street and went about 2 blocks and ate lunch at Norma D’s. Great little local restaurant and the sandwiches were fantastic. Headed back the way we came. We had beautiful weather, 78 degrees and a slight breeze. Great ride!
Rode the WST for first time today. Started at the Owensboro trail head and rode 23 miles up to Floral City. So peaceful & quiet especially compared to Suncoast that we did earlier in the week. Was a very nice ride even though we did run into a couple of scary situations. Right where the good neighbor trail intersects with the WST there was a rattle snake on the pavement. Very thankful to the rider that came off the GNT and stopped and pointed it out to us. Without his heads up I likely would have ran over it. The 2nd scary event was coming back to the trailhead we had started at. Somewhere between mile 1 & 2 there were 2 large black dogs that came out of the woods and started going after my wife. Fortunately, I heard her screaming and looked back. 2 dogs chasing her and 1 of them was at her ankles. She got away by having to hit the throttle on the e-bike. Be aware.
This trail was our first of hopefully many rides in Florida. We used the trail head in Brooksville. Plenty of fee parking but reasonable at $5 (you’ll need the park mobile app). We went south for about 17 miles. Would agree with others that it is very noisy and also not very scenic. But it is paved which was nice. Bike traffic was very minimal. One set of restrooms 6 miles from where we started (at the athletic fields). Crossing traffic in some places was a bit daunting but in the very busy areas there were crosswalk traffic lights. We did see an armadillo on our ride back to the trail head we used. That was cool. All in all a great first Florida outing.
I rode the southernmost 15 miles which starts in Owensboro, near Dade City. There’s a dirt parking lot there, but no restroom. The trail is smooth asphalt about six feet wide. Beyond that there are trees on both sides. At some points you can see thru the trees and see some ranch like land until you get into the Withlachoochee State forest. About 5 miles into the ride there is a restroom stop. At about 11.4 miles the asphalt gets older and a bit rougher but still is good- no tree roots or potholes. There is limited shade. At mile 15 we got off the trail and had lunch at Brees Riverside cafe. shade
Parked at Bobby Sheppard ball park in Hampton and road 18 miles to Putnam Hall then back. Nice parking at the park, the trail is paved, smooth and has a lot of shade. Road ebikes. Not much bike or ped traffic on trail. Stopped in Keystone Heights at Pangborn Ice Cream!!!
There don't seem to be many outdoor spaces left in crowded central Florida that offer a quiet, removed experience. This trail has it in abundance, however. Running straight as an arrow through grazing lands, forest, and wetlands, it's almost a Zen-like experience as you cruise silently along the miles. Most activity is near to the trail starting points, so after a few miles away from those, you're left to yourself. One of the best, for sure.
We rode about 13 miles of the trail starting at the Chamber of Commerce in Chiefland then traveled West at Wilcox Junction past the Suwannee River where we turned around to our starting point. The trail was wide, paved and easily navigated. Very smooth and the parts we traveled had little to no road noise. Reason for a 4 out of a 5 rating. The trail is absolutely straight with pretty much the same vegetation the whole length. Not real exciting but it is one of those trails you can lay down some uninterrupted miles. Next time in the area we will do additional sections.
The trail has now been paved from Hampton to Keystone, adding at least 7 more miles to the rail trail. A new parking lot was just finished near that trailhead at Bobby Sheppard Ballpark, and it has a water fountain and restrooms. This new section of the trail is shaded by trees, has smooth pavement, and goes through a cypress swamp and behind several farms, and it is separated enough from the highway that it is a really nice ride. You can see where they are starting to pave the next section to the west, which will eventually connect to lake butler.
At the east end of the trail cross Canal St. and make a right. Trail/sidewalk runs along Canal. Cross rt 44 into Venetian Gardens where there is a beautiful path along Harris Lake.
We rode from Croom to the south end of this amazing trail. Smooth asphalt, shaded by a canopy of trees it was a quiet place to enjoy a Sunday afternoon.
I just wanted to provide an update to individuals that have used the trail. Construction to pave the trail west from Hampton has started on January 1st from the CSX railroad crossing west across Highway 301 continuing on the former historic Southern Railway / NS right of way.
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